Ground Zero
by babylove969
Summary: Warnings: violence, bad language and mentions of torture. Buffy and the gang find out that the battle took place in L.A. They go to try and help Angel and find any survivors. Only when they get there they find someone they didn't expect. Now back in Rome they have to deal with a vampire with amnesia and PTSD all trying to save L.A from the demon world.


_**Summary: This is set right after Angel Season 5 Series Finale. Sixty-four days after the final battle started in L.A word of the battle reaches Giles' ears. He tells Buffy about it and she goes with Faith, Kennedy and a few of the new Slayers and Xander fresh from Africa to L.A to assess the situation in L.A, before the Council will decide what they should do with L.A. They never expected to find what they did in L.A and they had no idea that going to L.A would change everything they thought they knew. **_

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Chapter One

Buffy sat on the plane next to Xander. She was looking out the window and watching as the clouds went by. Buffy couldn't believe that this was happening. When Giles had called to inform her that there had been some battle in L.A for the past sixty-four days she didn't know what to think. The first thought was if Angel was alive and alright. The second was anger. She couldn't understand why Angel wouldn't have called by now to ask for help. Yes when Andrew went to get that Slayer she did basically tell Andrew not to trust him, but that was only because of who he was working for. Angel hadn't called to tell her otherwise. He hadn't called to explain why he was working for evil incorporated all of a sudden. It wasn't that Buffy thought Angel was evil; she knew that if he had lost his soul he would be out killing people not running a law firm. Still though, he didn't trust her to tell her his plan, he didn't tell her what was going on just for the basic of friendship so it was hard for Buffy to fully trust Angel in the past year because of that. Angel had never been good on communications, but he should have realised she deserved the truth on this. She deserved to be kept in the loop, especially when there is some epic battle and she has hundreds of Slayers at her beck and call. There was no telling what condition L.A was going to be in or if the battle was even still going on. It had been just over two months ago when it started for all they know everything was fine or L.A was the new Sunnydale, nothing but a giant hole in the ground.

"It's gonna be okay Buff." Xander said softly beside her.

He had literally just gotten off the plane at the Rome International Airport when Buffy, Dawn, Giles, Willow, Kennedy and three other new Slayers arrived. Xander had been in Africa for a good nine months looking for new Slayers and handling the situation down there. Africa wasn't some place he thought he would ever be, but when he arrived he saw just how much the cities were in need. So he stayed and collected new Slayers and helped to rebuild the villages and helped to get running water. Xander liked the work and he liked that he could truly do some good in the world that didn't involve fighting. When he arrived at the airport and got off the plane he thought everyone was there to greet him only to find out that Buffy, Kennedy and the three Slayers were off to L.A to meet up with Faith who was coming in from Cleveland because of a battle that took place there. When he found out where Buffy was going he decided he would go with her in case they needed help. He also didn't want to let Buffy go in there alone. Xander knew that if Spike had survived the final battle in Sunnydale he would have been going with her, but Spike was dead so Xander was going to be there to have her back like Spike always did.

"He should have called. Why didn't he call me Xander? I mean I know we kinda slapped him in the face with the whole new Slayer thing, but an epic battle seriously? He doesn't pick up the phone and say 'Hey I'm gonna be in this possibly apocalyptic battle in a few days would you mind sending a few Slayers my way' Even if Giles didn't trust Angel we would never have just abandoned a whole city because of it. We could have been there to help. We have no idea what L.A is going to be like or if the battle is even over."

"I don't know why he didn't call Buff. I've kinda been out of the loop here myself. Maybe he didn't think it would be so bad, maybe he thought you guys wouldn't come I don't know. When we find him you can beat the answer out of him."

"I lost Spike Xander, he's died saving the world, destroying the Hellmouth and Angel knew how much that hurt me. I lost part of my heart that day and Angel knew that. I deserved a simple phone call. I deserved to have the choice in coming or not. Now I might have lost both of them." Buffy said sadly as she continued to look out the window.

Xander knew how much Buffy missed Spike. To be honest he missed him too. He missed the banter they had back and forth it seemed to ease the tension in the room. He missed that Spike would always have their backs no matter what, whether they were right or wrong he was there for you. He was there to help fight and he would take the hits if it kept someone else safe. Xander hated that he didn't get to make things right with Spike. He hated that he didn't open his eyes and see what Buffy saw in him, because during that final year he had changed. The soul did make him a better man and Xander wished he had been a better man himself to let Spike know that the past was the past. It's why Xander didn't object to being sent to Africa he was curious to see what it was like for Spike. Spike went there for the demon trials and Xander was curious to see what anyone had to say about Spike.

"I don't know Buff. Angel knew how Giles felt about him running the firm, maybe he figured that no one would come. He didn't have your direct number as far as I know he's only had Giles' number. Maybe Giles refused his calls. We don't know his side of the story. I think though that we shouldn't assume that he's dead. Angel has lived for centuries you don't get that old by being stupid and reckless unless you are Spike." Xander joked softly which caused Buffy to smile slightly.

"You really think he might have lived?" Buffy asked with a slight hope to her tone.

"I think he deserves our faith until we are told otherwise."

The voice came over the airways to fasten their seatbelts as they began to descend into L.A.X. Xander and Buffy both put on their seatbelts and looked out the window. It was just after noon and yet as they got closer they noticed that all around the city it was pitch black. The sky was bright and blue all around the city, but L.A itself was in a cloud of darkness.

"Oh my God, it's completely covered in darkness." Xander said.

"There must be some kind of magic over it maybe. If it's been like this for over two months everything living has to be dead or dying by now."

"Plants and animals can't live without sunlight. Oxygen levels are probably starting to go down as well. Maybe it's getting better we don't know how dark or how much of the area was in darkness. It could be an improvement." Xander said trying to sound hopeful.

"Maybe, but we don't really believe that. God how did we not know about this before?"

"I don't know Buff, let's just try and do what we can."

The plane landed and everyone got off and grabbed their bags. They were the only ones to get off here, not even the flight attendants got off. They had a hotel booked, but now they weren't too sure about it. They met Faith at the gate and she gave them all a sad smile. She hadn't left the airport, but she had taken a good look outside the front doors before going to meet the others. The city didn't look too good and it looked like everyone that was human was long gone.

"Hey guys." Faith said.

"Hey, did you go outside?" Buffy asked.

"Not yet, I looked out the front doors though, it doesn't look good. I didn't see anyone out there. I don't think anyone is in the city anymore."

"That might not be a bad thing. I mean no one can live for very long in total darkness." Kennedy said.

"Let's go get the cars and then head to the hotel and drop off our stuff. Then maybe start at Wolfram and Hart and see whether or not Angel is still there." Buffy said taking charge once again.

Everyone was a Slayer, but there was still a peaking order. Buffy was number one and Faith was number two. After that it went by length of being a Slayer and how powerful you were. The ability to lead also took in a major factor. The Council also had an Inner Circle that consisted of Watchers, Slayers and Witches that made the decisions on what needed to be done if a situation appeared. They would be the ones to decide what would come of L.A. once they reported back their findings if there was anything. For all they knew no one and nothing was here in L.A. anymore and the city just needed time for the darkness to fade. They drove to the hotel and they pulled up in front of it just a few blocks away from Downtown. The building looked like it had seen better days, but there were lights on so they figured it was still operational. Giles had booked their rooms online so it wasn't like they even knew for sure if this place would still be standing. Buffy figured that Giles didn't know that L.A. would be this bad.

They all got out and headed inside. They saw that it wasn't a human that was standing behind the front desk, but a small green demon, a child. The little demon child gave them a big smile from the stool he was sitting on behind the desk.

"Hello there. Need a room? We got lots of rooms, but we don't want no trouble now."

"Do you run this hotel?" Buffy asked.

"Yup with my dad and my mom. The original owners were human-kin, but they asked us to look after the place while they got the hell out of town. Now we keep it open for the occasional demon that is looking for a shower and a bed. We don't get any humans that's for sure."

"We aren't looking for trouble, just a place to sleep. We made reservations online, we're from England." Buffy said.

"Cool. Hey Dad!" The little demon yelled across the room and down the hallway where a larger version of himself appeared out of a doorway and made his way down the hall.

"How many times do I have to tell you? Don't scream when there is nothing wrong. One day something is going to be eating your head and I won't come running thinking it's nothing." The older demon said as he moved down the hallway and over to his boy.

"They're humans and they say they made a reservation online. A little silly if you ask me."

"We don't get humans here anymore, not since the battle. Are you folks lost?" The demon father asked.

"No and we're not here for trouble. We're Slayers." Buffy said.

"Except for me." Xander added.

"Slayers eh? What the hell do you want here?" The demon father asked putting himself in front of his son as protection.

"We are not here for trouble. We just heard about this battle not even twelve hours ago. All we know is that it took place in L.A and was sixty-four days ago. We came looking for a friend, a vampire with a soul, he goes by the name Angel." Buffy said.

"Ah Angel, haven't seen him in a long time, years. He's been busy running his own investigations and then that law firm. It was a shame to see him go." The demon father said.

"Go?" Faith asked.

"He died in the battle along with the rest of his kin." The demon said.

"Are you sure?" Buffy asked sadly.

"I'm afraid so. I'm sorry if he meant something to you people. He was a good man and he kept my Clan safe."

"What do you know about the battle?" Kennedy asked.

"Not much is known about it outside of Angel's-kin. It came out of nowhere and this darkness has been over the city ever since. This is a demon playground now. They can come out at any time during the day and night."

"What about the other people in the city?" Xander asked with concern.

"No one is left. If they didn't make it out then they were killed off by whatever got to them first. When the battle started portals opened up all over the city dropping down demons and dragons from the sky. Hell opened up and let all of its creatures out to play. From what I am told the portals only disappeared once Angel and his kin were killed." The demon said.

"But I thought Angel was working for the bad guys?" Sarah a new Slayer asked.

"Hard to say who he was working for, but in the end the bad guys were the ones that did him and his kin in. The Senior Partners weren't going to stop until he was dead." The demon answered.

"Senior Partners?" Buffy asked confused.

"They were the ones that ran Wolfram and Hart. They are a mystical energy that communicates through people and liaisons and many others. It's complicated and no one actually knows how it all works. Not even Angel knew everything and he ran the damn place. I do know that they had been after Angel and his kin for years now ever since he came to L.A and two years ago they pushed and tried everything they could to get Angel to run their firm. Finally a year ago he agreed, so they must have done or said something that was worthy for him to sign over on it. Don't know what though, Angel wasn't really a talker."

"How can you be sure that he is dead?" Buffy asked.

"After the portals left I went to go out and search for any demons of my kin that were injured. The battle took place behind the Hyperion Hotel; it's where Angel and his kin were located when they first arrived in L.A. The biggest damage was done there. I could feel that Angel had been there, but he was gone and so was the hotel. It was in complete rubble. I called the demon hospital to see if he was brought in, but he wasn't. You are more than welcome to stay here, but I really think you should get back on a plane and go home. There isn't any reason for any humans to be here."

"Demon hospital?" Faith asked.

"There is a hospital that caters to just demons and vampires. Maybe where you are from all demons and vampires are bad, but there are demons and vampires here that just want to exist and not cause any troubles. A lot of them get put into the hospital, because they got into a fight with the wrong person. They don't kill humans so there is no reason to deny them the right to live. Some of us demons have children that need to be looked after when they get sick. It's a harmless place." The demon said in a stern voice.

"We're not looking to harm anyone. We're just looking for answers." Buffy reassured the demon once again.

"The Hyperion Hotel is just five blocks up from here. The demon hospital is underground on Eighth Street. There's a blood bank right above it and the entrance to the hospital is around the back down the back set of stairs. I'm telling you though you won't find Angel, he's gone. I'm sorry for your loss, but he's gone." The demon said sympathetically.

"Thanks for your help and information. I don't know if we will be staying the night in L.A, but if we are then we'll be back." Buffy said.

"Good luck." The little demon boy said.

They all headed out and back into the cars. They drove down the street to the Hyperion Hotel.

"What do you think we are going to find B?" Faith asked in the car where Faith, Kennedy, Buffy and Xander were in.

"I don't know, answers maybe. I haven't seen anyone human or even a demon so far. The buildings are mostly destroyed and the closer we get the more the damage there is. Maybe the city is empty of all humans after all." Buffy said sadly.

"Ya, but we can't just let the whole city go to the demons and vampires. We have to do something." Kennedy said.

"We're here to gather information and see if Angel is alive. After that we can report back to Giles and the Inner Circle will decide if we send Slayers to get involved. We don't even know how many demons and vampires there are. We could be sending in Slayers just to be slaughtered." Buffy said back.

"So what we just leave the city and hope that the Inner Circle will do something?" Kennedy said clearly not happy about this.

"Buffy and Faith are part of the Inner Circle. What they say will weigh a lot more than the others, because they are the ones seeing it. Let's just see if we can find anything out at the hotel and go from there." Xander said trying to ease the situation.

They arrived at the hotel or what was left of the hotel. It was just a pile of burnt wood and ruble. There was nothing left of what was once the Hyperion Hotel. They parked across the street and they just sat there in their seats looking at the last place that Angel might have lived. This is where he fought with his team, this is where they fell. Buffy didn't want to give up hope, but she didn't sense Angel at all in the city and normally she would have. It scared her to know that she couldn't sense him, that she could have just lost the last vampire she ever cared about. She lost Spike and now it seems like she lost Angel as well. Xander was the first one to get out of the car followed by the others. The three Slayers in the car behind them got out and joined them as they walked across the street and over to the pile. They all spread out just looking around the area and the alley that used to be the back alley to the hotel. They could all see that there was blood on the ground in various places, some not all from a human or vampire. There was demon blood, this clearly was ground zero for the fight for L.A and it seems like the bad guys won this round.

Buffy couldn't help the sadness that over took her body. She didn't know what to do. It was so obvious that Angel and his team had lost the fight. The good guys had fallen and the bad guys had won. This was new to Buffy she had never lost a battle. Yes she had lost fights before, but she had always won the battle, always won the war. She had never experienced a loss like this. She didn't even know what to do, because she couldn't feel Angel in the city like she normally would and that was scaring her. Either Angel truly did die in the fight or he left the city to recover. Angel must have known the battle would have reached her ears by now so if he was alive why not call and tell her he was fine. Buffy couldn't help, but feel the loss of Angel, the loss of her first love. She had told Angel that one day they might be together, but she didn't ever see it happening. She had realized that she had loved Spike all too late. Now he was gone and now it looked like Angel was dead too.

Xander had been looking around with the girls at the battle field. This definitely looked like ground zero and it didn't seem like it ended well. Xander couldn't see how Angel had survived any of this. It seemed like no one would have been able to survive. The whole city was drained of all humans and all that was left were the demons that seemed to be hiding underground somewhere.

"Hey I got a vamp over here." Sarah said as she pulled out her stake.

Xander turned to look at her and started to go to where she was heading. She walked over to a pile of rubble and Xander could see that there was a hand and parts of a body sticking out. It looked like the vamp either fell there and the wall came down on him or he was thrown into it. The other two Slayers came over to Sarah and the three of them were ready for a fight. Sarah was about to stake the vamp in the back when Xander saw the color of the vamps hair. He was face down and you couldn't see much just the bleach blonde that stood out among the black and grey cement.

"Wait" Xander said as he ran the remaining distance.

Sarah stopped before she could stake the vamp and the three new Slayers turned to look at Xander as if he was crazy.

"Why? It's just a vamp." Sarah said.

Xander got there and bent down he gently rolled the vamps head so he could see the side of his face and that was when Xander saw him. There under the rubble and covered in bruises and blood was Spike. Spike who was supposed to be dead. Spike who burnt to ashes in the Hellmouth as he saved the world.

"Buffy! Faith!" Xander yelled.

Xander began to get the chucks of rubble that he could lift off from Spike's back.

"What is the deal?" Kennedy asked as she came over to Xander as Buffy and Faith ran up to them. Kennedy looked down and saw that it was Spike laying there on the ground.

"Oh my God." Kennedy said as she bent down to help Xander get some of the bigger pieces off from Spike.

Buffy and Faith came over and both were confused as to what the commotion was about.

"What's going on?" Buffy asked.

"Is it a survivor?" Faith asked.

"Buffy" Xander said as he moved back so Faith and Buffy could see who was on the ground.

Buffy felt like she had taken a huge sucker punch to her stomach. There on the ground was Spike, her Spike; the Spike that she believed was dead all this time. For the last year she had mourned him, she had missed him, she had wished she had done something to save him. Now here she was standing in L.A after a fatal battle took place and there was Spike laying unconscious on the ground.

"How is this possible?" Faith said softly.

Buffy bent down and she looked at the side of Spike's face that she could see. Kennedy, Faith and Xander were removing the largest pieces of rubble from Spike's body. Once all of the rubble was removed they could see that his back was shirtless and covered in cuts, burns and bruises.

"Who is this dude?" Kristy asked.

"An ally." Faith said.

"We need to roll him." Xander said.

Buffy snapped out of it and placed a hand on Spike's shoulder. Carefully they rolled him onto his back and they couldn't believe how bad his front looked. His face was a mess of blood and bruises. His chest and stomach had stab wounds, bruises, broken bones and it looked like someone had cut open his stomach. There was blood everywhere and it was still pouring out of him. His right hand was so broken that it was as strong as soup. Every bone in his hand and wrist were completely shattered. The right side of his head was covered in blood and there was a large gash on the side of his head. It looked like his cheek bone was shattered; his eyes were swollen and blackened. There was blood pouring out of his mouth and that was just what they could see. They had no idea how injured he would be on the inside.

"We need to get him out of here. We need to get him over to the hospital." Faith said.

"We don't even know what that hospital will be like. We don't know what he's even doing here. He was supposed to be dead. How can we trust anyone at that hospital with him?" Xander asked.

"We don't have a choice. He needs medical help; he won't survive on his own like this. We don't have a choice, but to take a chance." Faith said.

"Buffy?" Kennedy asked.

"Faith's right, we don't have a choice. He can die from these injuries. I don't know what is going on, but we need to get him help." Buffy said with a shaky voice.

"Okay still confused here. He's a vampire since when do we have allies that are vampires?" Ashley said.

"Since I said so." Buffy snapped at the three new Slayers that didn't even know what Spike had done to save all of their lives.

"We need to move him carefully we have no idea how badly he's injured." Faith said.

"Xander, grab his right side." Buffy said as she put Spike's left arm around her shoulders.

Xander did the same with Spike's right arm and together they got up and moved Spike off the ground and they headed back towards the car. They laid Spike down on the back seat. Xander got into the driver seat, Faith into the passenger seat and Buffy sat in the back with Spike's head in her lap. Kennedy went with the other three Slayers in their car. Xander took off as fast as he could towards the demon hospital. Faith gave him the directions as he drove through the streets. Buffy sat in the back and gently stroked the side of Spike's face. She didn't want to hurt him, but she couldn't help but touch him. She couldn't believe this was happening. She came to L.A to make sure Angel was okay and here she finds Spike, the man that she loved, the man that she mourned, the man that died to save the world. Buffy didn't know if she should cry out in joy or be pissed off that he was alive and never told her. She had numerous questions and they would all have to wait until he was awake and talking.

Xander pulled up out front of the blood bank. It was closed and abandoned, but it wasn't the blood bank they were after. Xander and Faith got out of the car and Buffy opened the door. She waited until Xander came over to her and together they got Spike out of the car. Together they got Spike down the hallway and to the back door. Faith, Kennedy and the three other Slayers walked behind them. They arrived at the back door and Buffy banged on the locked door. The slot in the door opened and they could only see red demon eyes.

"We don't take your kind. Go away." The harsh demon said in a gruff voice.

"Wait please we have a vampire he's badly injured. We're not here to cause any trouble." Buffy said.

"What's a human like you care for a vampire?"

"His name is Spike, was William the Bloody, surely you must have heard of him. You can see he's injured. He needs help and this is the only place that can help him." Buffy said.

The demon closed the sliding plate and they heard the locks being undone. The demon opened the door and they could tell he was still skeptical. He looked over at Spike before he spoke.

"Any trouble and he dies, William the Bloody or not. He's only getting in here because of his name and because he saved my daughter a decade ago."

"We won't cause any trouble." Buffy reassured the demon.

The demon stepped back and allowed Buffy and Xander to bring Spike inside. They all headed down a set of cement stairs and through another metal door. On the other side was a hospital dimly lit. They passed by a few demons and were brought into a room where they were told to lay Spike down on the bed. The demon turned to another demon who didn't look too comfortable around humans.

"Go tell Dr. Gurgen that one of the Master Vampires is here and injured. Then go and grab some pig's blood." The demon said.

The younger demon ran off to go and fetch what he was told to grab. Buffy couldn't help, but notice that Spike looked deathly pale even under the dim lights. The blood was still pouring out of him and with the dim lights Buffy could see just how damaged his stomach was. It looked like someone had cut him open and started to pull out organs.

"Holy shit." Faith said softly into the room.

"How is he still alive?" Xander said softly to himself.

"Vampires are hard to kill if you don't use stakes or fire. Looks like he hasn't eaten in weeks. Poor bastard's been tortured pretty good it's a shame to do this to one of the Masters." The demon said with a shake of his head.

Another demon walked into the room. He looked human, but they could tell he wasn't. His eyes were the only indication that he was some kind of demon. He walked over to the bed and looked down at Spike.

"Jesus, its Spike. Did you send for blood?" The Doctor asked the demon.

"Ya sent the little one to grab it."

"I need the room, everyone leave." The doctor ordered.

"I'm not leaving him alone." Buffy said with as much force as she could gather.

"I'm not going to hurt him, I'm a friend. I've worked on him before. You need to give me the room so I can save his life." Dr. Gurgen said.

Buffy wasn't sure she should leave Spike alone with these demons, but Xander gently grabbing her arm and guiding her out didn't leave her with much of a choice. They walked out and saw that other demons had gathered around and were trying to look inside the room. The demon with the doctor closed the door and blocked out the room so no one could look inside. Buffy couldn't stop pacing around in a small circle. So many thoughts kept going through her mind. They all revolved around Spike being alive. She had to make calls, she had to tell Dawn, but how could she when she didn't even know how injured Spike even was. She had to wait before she called Dawn to let her know. Dawn had been heart broken when she found out that Spike died. Buffy didn't want to get Dawn's hopes up only to crush them once again.

"He's going to be okay B. He's strong." Faith said trying to sound reassuring.

"I don't understand how he's alive. He burnt up in the Hellmouth this doesn't make any sense." Xander said.

"Maybe it was that amulet; we didn't know what it truly was capable of. Maybe something happened and he didn't die." Kennedy said.

"Who is he?" Sarah asked.

"He fought back in Sunnydale with us. He died saving the world and now he's alive." Buffy said softly more to himself, but the others could hear her.

"So he's a good guy?" Kristy asked.

"His name is Spike and he has a soul. He fought for his soul about two years ago through the demon trials." Xander specified.

"He's a Champion." One of the female demons said from the group of twenty.

They all turned to look at her and she could tell they were slightly confused by that.

"You know Spike?" Buffy asked.

"He's a Champion to us demons and our kin. A Champion is supposed to die in a blaze of glory not from torture. It's wrong." The female demon said.

"Why is he a Champion?" Kennedy asked her.

"Many demon Clans will resolve issues by putting one Champion against another to fight for the right of each Clan. Sometimes it can resolve the disputes between two demon Clans. If not then a war will break out between them and then sides will be made with other Clans, and before you know it extinction is on the horizon. The older demon Clans still believe in using their best demon or ally to fight against the other demon's Clan. Whoever wins that Clan wins the dispute and they follow that change in the rules. Saving many lives. Spike is a Champion; because he has helped to stop close to a hundred wars within the demon community by fighting for the side he believes is right. He has been able to stop disputes by simply stating what side he is on without even having to fight. In our world, the demon world, he is a Champion." An older male demon said.

"He's a Champion in our world too." Buffy said.

"He was always helping when he came to L.A. He was out on the streets protecting people like Angel used to do. I wonder if he's been tortured for the three weeks since it ended." The female demon said again.

"What do you know? You need to tell us everything you know about Spike since being in L.A." Xander said.

"Why should we tell you humans?" A third male demon said that had a sword strapped to his back.

"We're friends of his. We thought for the last year that he was dead. He burnt up in Sunnydale saving the world and closing the Hellmouth. We didn't even know there was a battle here until a few hours ago." Faith said.

"Please. I need to know. I love him." Buffy said sincerely as she looked at the older demon figuring he was the one in charge here.

The older demon stood there for a moment looking at Buffy. The other demons turned to watch the older demon waiting to see if he would speak. After a moment he did.

"Spike is a good man. He returned nine months ago I believe, at least that is when I was able to feel him in L.A. Rumors have it he was a ghost before that, haunting Wolfram and Hart. I did not see him until roughly a month later when I escorted the good doctor to Wolfram and Hart to reattach Spike's hands. They were both cut off by a psychotic girl with extreme strength."

"The Slayer that Andrew brought back." Sarah said.

"Ah is that what she was. A Slayer, yes that makes sense. After that he healed and he returned to the streets fighting against those that harmed the helpless, human or demon. He never killed a human or harmed any though. He only protected those that needed help. The battle came out of nowhere, normally you can feel it coming, but this time we could not. One day a black blanket settled over the city and then portals opened in the sky all over the city dropping demons and dragons from them. We all took cover underground I have not been up there in sixty-five days. Some of the other males go up to gather supplies and bring down those that are injured. It ended three weeks ago, maybe that is when Spike was taken I do not know. For forty-three days a battle raged on up there and it finally ended when Angel fell then the portals disappeared. I could not feel Angel anymore I am saddened by his death. I could still feel Spike and I had thought he was up there fighting off demons as he usually does. I see that I was wrong. Now we stay underground where it is safe from those demons that are hungry and no longer have any humans to eat." The older demon said calmly.

"Forty-three days?" Buffy asked surprised.

"It was a battle of endurance and wills. Whoever brought forth the portals were only interested in killing Angel and his team I would imagine. Once Angel was killed the portals disappeared and the demons and dragons stayed." The demon answered.

"What about all of the people? And where are these demons and dragons now?" Faith asked.

"Most are in hiding until they feel the need to come out and fight. I do not know if any dragons still exist here. As for the people those that Angel and Spike were not able to get out of the city before Angel's death have long died. Angel and Spike would during the day gather people and bring them through the sewers outside of the city. Once they hit daylight they would be safe. I do not know how many they were able to free during those days, but those that they did not get out have long been killed." The demon answered.

"We used to go up for supplies and the streets would be covered in blood and bodies of the human kin. This city belongs to demons now." The third demon said with the sword on his back.

"What will happen to the Champion now wise one?" The female asked.

"I do not know. If he lives the question of his safety is debatable. We do not know who had him or for how long he was tortured. Those that started this battle might be looking for his death as well as Angel's. It might not be safe for him to stay in the city while he is healing." The old demon said.

"You think he could be in danger?" Kennedy asked.

"It is hard to say. He has always been in danger from enemies and those that wish to be able to say they slain the Champion that is Spike. My gut tells me he would be better off outside of the city where daylight keeps him safe. He will not be in any condition to fight anytime soon." The demon answered.

"He won't be in the city. He's coming back with us to Rome where he will be safe. I don't know what will happen to L.A, but I will do my best to try and figure out a solution. We're Slayers, I have a whole army of them at my disposable if the Council clears it we will send some in to help the city." Buffy said.

"You claim you love him and yet you would let everything he fought for be for nothing?" The demon with the sword said with anger.

"I do love him, but it's not my call to send in Slayers. I will discuss it with the Council and I will push for Slayers to come here. I'm sorry, but my priority is that man in there. I thought he was dead. I spent the last year believing he died. All I want is for him to live and to get healthy again that's my only focus." Buffy answered honestly.

"Angel, you said you couldn't feel him anymore. Isn't it possible that he left the city?" Faith asked.

"He was here in the heart of the city and then he was gone. He died in battle like any warrior and Champion should have. I am sorry for your loss, but he is gone. Now the world only has Spike." The older demon said sadly.

"And he is hanging on by a thread." The demon with the sword added.

"He hasn't died yet, that is a good sign." The female demon said with a small smile trying to sound encouraging, but the others could tell it was just wishful thinking.

"We should call the others and let them know." Faith said.

"No, not yet. I don't want to tell them he's alive only for him to die. Let's just wait and see what the doctor says." Buffy said quickly.

"Sure Buff." Xander said.

It was a good three hours before the doctor finally came out of the room where Spike was being held. A few times they had seen the demon that let them into the hospital come in and out of the room. He would bring blood back and at one point he left with blood who they figured was Spike's. When the doctor came over to them they all gathered around him, even the other demons moved a little closer to hear. It was clear that they did care or at least respected Spike on some level.

"How is he?" Buffy asked before the doctor could say anything.

"Let me start by saying he is alive, unconscious, but alive."

"Will he stay alive?" Faith asked.

"He will, whether or not he should is another story."

"What do you mean?" Buffy asked.

"Spike is a fighter and very stubborn so stubborn he refuses to die even when it would be better for him. There are demon Gods out there that wouldn't have been able to survive what Spike has. With that being said he is alive and he will pull through, but it won't be easy for him. It is going to be a long and an extremely painful road. He was attacked by demons, but I don't know if a human was controlling them or not. It could be he was taken sometime during the battle or after it. He hasn't fed in three weeks based on that I believe it's safe to assume he has been held captive for three weeks. Based on his injuries he didn't leave himself, they probably let him go so he could die slowly from lack of food and blood. I can tell you that the demon or demons were an M'shyric demon. They are very nasty and very violent. They love blood and hearing people scream. They are extremely violent demons and strong. Three weeks with them has caused Spike serious injuries. He has deep bruising around both wrists and ankles so he was restrained the whole time. All of his ribs are broken, his right knee was shattered, his right wrist and hand were beyond shattered his bones were practically dust. He is covered in bruising, burns, cuts and bite marks. He has them on his legs and his arms. His back is covered in claw marks some all the way down to the bone. He hasn't been able to heal, because he is losing too much blood and he isn't feeding to help replenish and heal. This type of demon though are also known for eating flesh and organs. There is serious damage done to Spike's stomach. His skin was cut off and eaten, he was cut into and had both kidneys; liver and spleen eaten out of him. There were bite marks on his inside."

"Oh my god." Buffy said as she felt her stomach grow nauseous.

"At least he wasn't awake for it." Kennedy said softly.

"Actually I ran his blood. These demons have venom in their blood if they can get their victim to drink their blood, normally it's by force, than their venom goes into that person. The venom keeps that person awake and that person is unable to pass out from the pain. Spike had the venom in him. He would have been awake the whole time and felt everything. The only reason he isn't now is because he has lost too much blood and the venom is almost gone, allowing his body to finally give out." The doctor said gently.

"Holy shit." Xander said.

"He also has bruising all in his brain. When he does wake up he won't even remember his name or what's going on. When the bruising starts to heal and fade his memories will come back, but when he does wake up he will have amnesia. A vampire with amnesia is never easy. The demon inside tries to take over and protect his host so he might be more violent than normal. He's going to be paranoid and he won't trust anyone. Now Spike has a soul so he might react a little differently than a normal vampire, but the best thing you can do is to give him space to breathe and don't hound him with questions. He won't be able to answer them and it will only frustrate him."

"How long will he take to heal?" Faith asked.

"I'll get to that in a moment. There's one more injury that to us might not seem that bad, but to a vampire it's the worst thing you can do to them. All of his fangs were removed. They were pulled out of his mouth." The doctor said.

The other demons all took a breath in as they understood better than the others did as to what that would do to Spike.

"I don't understand. They will grow back right?" Buffy asked.

"They will, but it will be a long and painful process. You are all human so let me put it this way. When you go to the dentist and you need a tooth removed the dentist numbs your mouth so you don't feel anything. After the tooth is gone you have no pain your body adjusts to it not being there. Now imagine going to the dentist to remove a tooth without any numbing agent. The dentist simply grabs a pair of pliers and starts pulling and cutting your gums to get the tooth out."

"Ouch" Xander said.

"Now multiple that pain by ten and that is how a vampire feels when they get their fangs ripped out. That pain will stay there, it won't ease up it will actually get worse as his fangs grow back. His mouth is swollen, his gums are still bleeding and it will take close to six months before his fangs grow back fully. He's going to be in pain for at least six months. Six months where he can't go into his vampire face without permanently damaging his mouth. His mouth is going to be more painful than any of his other injuries. Do you have any questions about his injuries?"

"How long until we can move him?" Buffy asked.

"Is there someplace he needs to be?" The doctor asked.

"Ya, home." Buffy simply said.

"And home is where?"

"Rome, Italy." Buffy answered.

"If you are waiting until he is pain free to travel then six months maybe a year. If you are wondering when he can move without the risk of death two, three days, but it will be painful for him. If you wish to move him then we can help you with that, but I would recommend you wait and see how he reacts first."

"Six months to a year to be pain free? Vampires heal fast though." Faith said.

"They do, but not with major injures as these ones are. He has to grow four organs back from nothing and all of his ribs are broken. Normally in this situation I would look for his Sire and have his Sire give blood. His Sire, which is Angel."

"Wait Spike's sire is Drusilla not Angel." Buffy said cutting off the doctor.

"Drusilla bit Spike and took his blood, but she didn't kill him. She left him there in an alley thinking that she had Sire him and she would come back to see her first childe. Angel found out that she had tried sire someone and he went and found Spike barely alive. Angel then sired Spike and lied to Drusilla and Darla about it. Spike and Angel were the only ones that knew the truth, except for a few of us demons over the years." The older demon answered.

"Why would they lie about that thought?" Kennedy asked.

"Because Drusilla was mentally unstable and she took to Spike. She wanted her own childe and Spike was perfect. He loved her and took care of her. He didn't want to lose her love by her finding out he was actually Angel\s childe. The whole decision was Angel's idea, because he wanted someone to protect Drusilla when he couldn't be around and a childe was perfect for that." The older demon explained.

"So Spike needs Angel's blood?" Sarah asked still slightly confused.

"His blood would give Spike the most strength and healing ability. However, Angel is dead so that forces us to go to human blood. From the battle all of the humans are either gone or they are dead leaving us with no donor supply. I can't give him human blood, because there simply isn't any. So that leaves us with just pig's blood and it won't be quick. Animal blood is the weakest, it works to keep a vampire from starving, but it doesn't help much in the healing department. It's all we have though, so he's looking at a year before he is no longer in any pain off animal blood." The doctor answered.

"What about Slayer blood. Mine's right up there with Sire blood." Buffy said.

"And I can take some of yours if you are offering, but I can only give him one bag a week. Slayer blood is strong; you're right its right up there with Sire blood, but Slayer blood has a downside if it is consumed all too often. Spike's body will get used to it and it will only function off your blood. When he goes to drink animal blood it will make him sick and his body will reject it. I can give him some of your Slayer blood to help give his body a little boast, but I can only do it once a week. If you take him back to London with you and if you wish to continue doing that then make sure it is only once a week or he will pay for it in the long run. I also wouldn't suggest letting him drink from you, he can't bite you, but if you cut yourself and let him drink from that it could bring out the demon and he might not be able to control himself without his memory." The doctor explained.

"You can take my blood and I won't let him drink from me. He needs my blood I have no problem giving it to him." Buffy said.

"I don't either." Faith said.

"You are both Slayers?" The doctor asked.

"We all are except for Xander." Kennedy said.

"I'm only human, but I don't mind donating." Xander said.

"That would be appreciated." The doctor said.

"Do you have a way of keeping the blood?" Kennedy asked.

"We have everything working on a generator and we do have a fridge for blood." The doctor answered.

"So if we could get you human blood you could keep it and give it to Spike?" Kennedy asked.

"I could, but I don't see how you will be able to get any. The city is empty."

"But not the other cities. We could go and drive to one and grab some blood from a blood bank." Kennedy said.

"You want to steal blood?" Ashley asked shocked.

"The dude saved the world. If human blood is going to help him to heal then ya I want to steal some blood for him." Kennedy said as she looked right at Ashley.

"If you are able to get your hands on human blood then yes we can store it." The doctor said.

"Do it." Faith said as she looked at Kennedy.

"Is that all of his injuries?" Xander asked.

"It is now there is one other thing I want to discus with you very quickly. There is a bite mark on his neck that has scared over. Do not be alarmed that was done by a friend." The doctor began.

"What do you mean?" Buffy asked.

"Vampires have many different laws and ceremonies. Unless you are a vampire it's hard to explain and to understand so I will try my best to help you understand. Vampires have mating ceremonies, a Sire and Childe ceremony and various other ones. You can tell by the bite mark and where it is on what type of ceremony it was. The bite mark is on his right side of his neck so it wasn't a mating ceremony. Those bite marks are done on the left side, the side of your heart. You would have to ask him once he regains his memory back, but I believe this is a bite mark from an equal ceremony."

"What is that?" Buffy asked.

"Dr. Gurgen if I may?" The oldest demon said as he stepped closer.

"Go ahead old friend."

"An equal ceremony is like that of a Sire and Childe ceremony only both of the parties are vampires. Angel and Spike must have done this before the battle. It might have been their dying wish with each other. An equal ceremony is done between and Sire and a Childe and it symbolizes that both are equals; there is no submissive or dominate like there is in a normal Sire and Childe relationship. Both of them bite the other at the same time claiming each other as their equal. This also shares their blood once again making their Sire and Childe bond even stronger. It's the form of absolute acceptance of each other. A Sire accepts and acknowledges that his Childe is powerful and they are proud of them. The Childe accepts and acknowledges that his Sire does love him and is proud of him as a Childe. It does not happen often, because of the new age where vampires no longer abide by the Sire and Childe laws. More vampires Sire people just for the fun of it without thinking about the old laws. This ceremony would have been Angel's way of showing Spike that he is proud of him and he is family. The bond becoming stronger would also give them a greater strength in their connection. The hatred they once felt would have disappeared, if it already hadn't. They would be able to feel the other's emotions, their pain and they might even be able to speak through their minds. The best part of this ceremony is that it cannot be faked. Both parties have to believe in what the ceremony represents or the claim will not take. The scar is Spike's claim that Angel gave him and Angel would have the same one. It's the highest praise a Childe truly can get from his Sire. It would have been very meaningful." The demon explained.

"So it's like an act of love?" Sarah asked.

"Very much so and very much more than that. It would mean the world to both Spike and Angel. The human side to them wouldn't care for it, but to the demon side to Spike and Angel it would be like the President of the United States handing you a key to the world. It is that level of award to a Childe when their Sire does this. It is rare, because most Sires do not do this with any of their Childe. It would be a declaration of love between Sire and Childe, not between lovers. It would be a declaration of approval and acceptance, of pride. It is very powerful and moving to the vampire and demon world." The old demon explained further.

"Wow and here I thought they hated each other." Xander said.

"They did, but fighting together those last months must have resolved their issues." Buffy said.

"They did fight with each other and they still bantered back and forth but it was friendly, brotherly. Angel has always seen Spike as the younger brother. A brother he needs to protect, to teach and to save. That would have only grown once Angel learnt of Spike's soul. He would have wanted to help him knowing what it felt like himself. Though the walls they built up around each other prevented him from taking action. By the end they had resolved their issues and had admitted and claimed the other as an equal as a blood brother." The old demon said.

"That's actually kinda sweet." Faith said.

"Ya, but now Angel is dead. What is that going to do to Spike?" Kennedy asked.

"He will always feel the loss of his Sire. There will be times when he is just simply sad to have him gone. However, if Angel is somehow still alive and I cannot sense him Spike will be able to once he regains his memory. Their bond will tell them when the other is dead or not." The old demon said.

"For now the most important thing for Spike is rest. I can't give him any pain medication, because he is a vampire. They don't work on them. So he is in a great deal of pain. The best thing for him is sleep. I can bring you in an ice pack and you can use it on his face and his ribs to help with the swelling if you wish, but I'm afraid that's all I can do for the pain." The doctor said.

"Bring the ice it's not much, but at least it's something." Buffy said.

"When he does wake up he will feel the full extent of the pain. Do not make him talk it will only hurt his mouth more. Just talk to him in calm voices and just try and get him back to sleep. It's the best thing for him right now." The doctor said.

Just then a loud scream came from the room that was holding Spike. Dr. Gurgen ran into the room with Buffy and the others right behind him. They ran in and saw that Spike was awake and thrashing around on the bed from the pain. His hands were grabbing his stomach and making it bleed more. Dr. Gurgen ran over to Spike along with the other demon that had been working on Spike with him. They grabbed Spike's hands and pulled them away from his stomach. Dr. Gurgen held them down, but it only made Spike worse. He opened his eyes and he tried to switch into game face, but he couldn't only his eyes went yellow and he was letting out small growls.

"Its' okay child, its' okay." The doctor said trying to calm Spike down.

It wasn't working and Spike was still fighting against the doctor's hold.

"Grab the hand restraints we need to keep his hands away from his stomach." The doctor said to his demon helper.

"You can't tie him down." Buffy said as the other demon went and grabbed padded wrist restraints.

"We don't have a choice right now he can't hurt himself." The demon said as he put the restraints around the bed railings and then attaching them to each one of Spike's wrists. He made sure he was careful of his right wrist that was broken.

Once the restraints were on the doctor stood up, but Spike was still struggling against the restraints and growling.

"It's okay you are safe Spike." Dr. Gurgen said calmly.

"Can't you give him something?" Kennedy asked.

"There isn't anything I can give him. Nothing works on vampires for pain medication. He just needs blood and time." Dr. Gurgen said sadly.

Buffy went and sat down on the bed beside Spike.

"Be careful B." Faith said.

Buffy carefully reached out her hand and gently placed it on the side of Spike's face. Spike flinched back, but Buffy didn't stop. She placed her hand on the side of Spike's face and gently rubbed her thumb over his bruised cheek.

"It's okay Spike. You're safe I'm not going to let anyone hurt you." Buffy said calmly in a comforting voice.

Spike's eyes went back to their normal blue color and Spike seemed to be calming down. Spike kept his eyes on Buffy and slowly his eyes began to close and he fell back to sleep. Buffy kept her hand there still and she moved it so Spike could smell her as well. Spike unconsciously moved into Buffy's touch as he slept.

"You both must have a strong connection. Consciously Spike won't remember anyone or anything that's happened to him. Subconsciously though, he still remembers how you smell, your touch, your voice. Those things he finds comforting so he finds comfort in you, even though he doesn't remember who you are. It's a good thing it will help him to trust you more easily." Dr. Gurgen said.

"He's not going to like being restrained after being restrained for three weeks." Buffy said.

"I know, but it's for his own good right now. When he wakes up and he is more aware then we can remove them. I just don't want him ripping at his stomach with the pain." Dr. Gurgen said.

"He needs more blood." The demon said.

"I can donate some." Xander said.

"Kennedy, take the girls and go and find a working blood bank and take as many as you can. Make sure you put it on ice so it doesn't go bad." Faith said.

"Will do." Kennedy said.

She led the other three Slayers out of the room and back up to the street level.

"He needs Slayer blood. B, stay here with him and I'll go give him some of mine." Faith said.

Buffy looked at Faith as she spoke. "You don't have to I don't mind."

"I don't mind either. I'll go this week and you can go next week." Faith said.

"Ok" Buffy said softly as she looked back at Spike.

"I can take you both to draw your blood. I'll make sure you have an ice pack for him as well." The demon said.

"Thank-you." Buffy said.

"The best thing for him right now is rest. It's going to be a long road have some patients with him and remember to rest yourself." Dr. Gurgen said.

"I will." Buffy said, but she had her eyes on Spike and the doctor had no doubt that she wouldn't be leaving his side any time soon.

They all left Buffy alone with Spike while Xander and Faith went to give blood and the doctor went to handle other patients. Buffy just sat there running her hand through Spike's hair. She noticed that it had been washed, all of him had been washed so he was no longer covered in blood and dirt. He wasn't wearing a shirt he just had bandages wrapped all around his torso. He had simple grey scrub pants on and a white sheet brought up to his hips. Buffy couldn't help, but notice how pale Spike was from lack of food. She was hoping the blood would be able to help him heal enough so she could take him home where he would be safe. Until then Buffy was going to sit here with him and let him know that he was safe and he wasn't alone anymore.


End file.
